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32 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY E stefania Collazos discovered aviation during middle school when she walked by Aviation High School on the way to school. During an open house she was able to go into all the shop classes and have a try at riveting, soldering wires, and even play with some of the mockups. During her time in Aviation High School she was part of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp (AFJROTC) program and Sgt. Williams was the instructor and he served as a mentor. "His advice and guidance helped build a strong foundation of core values, integrity, and leadership." She attended Aviation High School and part of the fifth year honors program which allowed students to stay and finish obtaining the necessary FAA hours to complete the A&P; program. Collazos' first aviation related job was being a tutor for A&P; students at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology. She helped students to understand basic systems like hydraulics, electrical, and sheet metal. She got her bachelor's in electri- cal engineering with a focus on avionics. Later she found out Endeavor would be opening up a base at LGA so she decided to apply. Her current job is a maintenance operations technical representative (MOTR) where she focuses on repeat discrepancy and aircraft that come out of service and require assistance. Nominated by John Huntoon, director of maintenance, Endeavor Air: "Born in 1992, this 25-year- old professional has already risen up the maintenance ranks at Endeavor Air and has impressed anyone she has had contact with. Arriving in the U.S. in 1999 from her native Columbia as a young girl, Stef was always inquisitive about how things worked and showed particular interest in aircraft. Stef immediately was recognized for her strong sense of safety and compliance and her desire to continuously learn and help others be successful. Her commitment to her job, her company, and her industry is incredible for such a young professional. Stef demonstrates each day her commitment to her chosen industry, her endless energy and desire to continuously learn and improve her value, and her genuine love for the aviation industry. And, Stef also received her U.S. citizenship in 2015." To give back to the industry she has attended career fairs and recruiting events to talk about her role at Endeavor. Collazos has also held a seminar at Aviation High School to teach students how to dress, talk, and act during an interview. For the future, Collazos sees herself in a management position, where she can be part of the discussions and decisions that make a difference at Endeavor. ESTEFANIA COLLAZOS Maintenance Operations Technical Representative, 25, Endeavor Air, New York J onathan Lincoln wanted a career where he didn't have to search for new employment every year or so. His job at the time of entering A&P; school was a Xerox tech. "Besides the initial "coolness" of working on planes, was that unlike auto mechanics, there was little to no room for hodgepodge maintenance (jerry rigging), do it right or don't do it at all." He received his training at MIAT College of Technology. Most of his career has been on the regional jets, Bombardier and Embraer products. He was a mechanic with Mesa Airlines shortly after getting his tickets. He rose through the ranks as foreman and base manager of two different maintenance bases. He left Mesa and went to Pinnacle Airlines at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) as an avionics line technician. "It was good to get back to wrenching instead of only office work. I have been at Pinnacle, now Endeavor Air, ever since as a maintenance operations technical representative (MOTR). It's by far the best job I have held in aviation because I get a mix of hands-on and behind the scene work and I feel like some of the work my team does has a larger effect than just the immediate repair." He recently received the company's LEAD17 award for his work on a test box created to help troubleshoot and eliminate high cost repairs to aircraft computers. This box has been replicated and distributed to all Endeavor maintenance bases and has proven to reduce cost and AOS time dramatically. He has completed numerous training classes through Endeavor, Bombardier, and other OEM vendors. And he is involved in several work groups to improve systems and/or rewrite manuals. Nominated by Amy Kienast, director of career services, MIAT College of Technology: "Jon Lincoln is a problem-solver and people have come to rely on him for this unique set of skills. He often receives a call from his boss for a last minute trip out of state or the country to fix an airplane because everyone else is stumped. Jon is also one of the first alumni of MIAT to volunteer his time to help with special events to get younger kids interested in aviation maintenance careers. He will do hands-on demonstrations to show the youth how they can have a great career in aviation." Lincoln says, "There is so much more to this world of aircraft than the average mechanic gets to see. Engineering, both design and in-service, tech support, reliability initiatives, management (low, middle, and upper level). In my current job I get to be a part of all of it at once, and I love what I do. My biggest career goal that has never changed: I don't dread coming to work every day, but I thrive on coming in every morning." JONATHAN LINCOLN Maintenance Operations Technical Representative, 35, Endeavor Air, Romulus, MI